Monday, July 18, 2005

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

This book is selling at astounding rates - 250,000 sales per hour, and reportedly earning JK Rowling $36 million in one day. I admit, I actually went out yesterday and bought the book; albeit, not for myself. Rather it was a gift, but I did still feel like a member of the millions of other people that were clambering over this Potter Madness. When I first walked in to the Barnes and Noble Bookstore, I was confronted by an enormous pyramid created with hundreds of Harry Potter books. I luckily did not have to take part in the midnight mania, which apparently included costumes and characters, face painting, readings from the book, and other activities. The Harry Potter phenomenon really is intriguing. My favorite part is the fact that 7 years ago JK Rowling was a poor, single mother. She is now one of the wealthiest members of our society, and she achieved this based on her own brilliant ideas, hard work, and determination. In my humble opinion, JK Rowling is the living embodiment of the American Dream.

- Here is what the wait to Potter Midnight Madness was like at Joseph-Beth, here in Lexington, KY.

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comments:

Good point, I suppose she is British. That fact that the American Dream can be accomplished by those not even American is not new. Andrew Carnegie was another example of one from another nation who was able to take advantage of the capitalistic system America is founded upon, to achieve a wealth of success. Kudos to Rowling, Carnegie, and all others, American or not, who can work hard on their own, and as a result, end up with a successful, productive life.